


Flowers for Mai

by Loopy



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Conventions, F/M, Flowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-02-26 18:17:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18722371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loopy/pseuds/Loopy
Summary: Mai isn't sure which is worse about the Great Fire Flower Show- all the awful colors, or having to deal with her ex-boyfriend being the Guest of Honor.The assassins are pretty annoying, too.Updating daily for May Maiko Week 2019.





	1. Ending

**1 - Ending**

Mai could see that Zuko was struggling to maintain at least a minimum of decorum, and she appreciated that. He was the absolute ruler of her nation, after all; a leader who couldn't act the part would simply be ignored by the populace, and she would rather avoid her homeland descending into a state of hysterical lawlessness if at all possible. Plus, she generally preferred Zuko when he was keeping a lid on the festering outlet for lifelong trauma that he called a temper.

Zuko stood amidst the rumble and the flames and the panicking attendees, maintaining a regal pose despite the lopsided Flame Crown nearly falling out of his topknot, the soot on his scarred face, and the battered flower blossoms sticking to the charred ribbons that were once his robes of state. He looked straight at Mai and said, "You were expecting this."

"Something like this." They might no longer be lovers, maybe not even friends anymore, but Mai still could not bring herself to lie to him. Even if she was flouting every single one of her other foundational convictions by wearing (the remains of) orange robes. "The explosion was a surprise."

His gaze drifted, and he gave a nod. "It caught me off guard, too." He looked up at her again. "But how?"

Mai sighed. "Well, if you really want to know..."

* * *

It began in Auntie Mura's flower shop, on the gray kind of rainy winter day that usually kept people indoors and definitely did not have them thinking about flowers, even if the best florist in all of Lower Harbor City always had fresh product available for purchase in a variety of colors and arrangements. It was the kind of day when a random employee of that florist, who may or may not be the proprietor's niece, might hope to get by without having to deal with bothersome customers-

" _I have arrived,_ " the customer called as she pushed the door open with a slam and glided into the shop.

Mai thought a whole bunch of words that were as colorful as the flowers the filled the shop. But she kept her face blank and turned to greet the new arrival-

-and just barely managed to swallow a frown. Following the customer at a precisely proper three steps was an armored guard.

An armored guard with disgustingly colorful facepaint that echoed the shades of the ugliest flowers in the shop.

An armored guard who was a Kyoshi Warrior.

An armored guard who was a Kyoshi Warrior who Mai knew because they had grown up together _and why was Ty Lee playing footpad to this random loud lady?_

The lady in question was pretty classy- too much for Lower Harbor City. She was dressed like she'd just attended a public immolation up in the Caldera. Even the people who lived in the capital didn't dress like that just to pick up some flowers.

Behind the nob, Ty Lee winked.

Oh, great. Mai had no idea what that wink was supposed to signify, but when Ty Lee was winking, either she manipulating a boy or planning a dangerous escapade that would require Mai's assistance in a life-endangering way.

Mai hoped it was the second one.

While she glared daggers at Ty Lee (which usually preceded actually throwing daggers), Aunt Mura stepped up to the main counter and smiled. "Welcome to my humble shop. Can my wares help brighten your life in some way?"

Lady Overdressed gave a slow look around the place, and made a face that Mai recognized from her days living up in the Caldera. It was the grimace of someone who had been hoping to find something worth throwing a fit over, and was disappointed to see that everything was up to standards. "I am Lady Yuying. This 'establishment' was recommended to me as a place of artistry. I have come to assess that claim." She didn't give any sign that she knew Ty Lee was behind her.

It was insulting, but nowhere near as bad as some of the brides who had come in as customers. Auntie Mura kept up her cheerful smile and gave a quick bow. "Welcome! My apprentice and I would be delighted to show you everything that-"

* * *

"Things got boring as Auntie took your cousin-once-removed back to our Viewing Room and served her tea," Mai told Zuko, "while Ty Lee and I had a conversation silently by expanding and contracting the irises of our eyes at each other. I was just getting to explaining how even she couldn't make those horrific Kyoshi cosmetics work-"

"Thanks," Suki said as she patted out one of the bits of her skirt that was still on fire.

"-when Lady Yuying decided..."

* * *

"It was just as I was told," Yuying hissed as she turned to take in the clusters of flowers that spread a symphony of color across the small Viewing Room. "You _are_ a Hua Master."

Auntie Mura giggled. "I try."

Mai was still glaring at Ty Lee when Yuying spun to address her. "You- apprentice. I hope you appreciate your position and the knowledge you have been given an unworthy chance to absorb."

Mai was still shifting her eyeballs to a more appropriate vector as Aunt Mura said, "Mai is my niece, and it is my pleasure to have her as an assistant. The cluster on the left is actually her work."

Mai bowed. Apprentices weren't supposed to speak in front of the fancy customers.

Yuying walked over the arrangement in question - Mai had only thrown it together because she was bored this morning - and scrutinized it. She made a pleased sound, smiled, and then reached into the metallic yin petals to pluck out a small knife. "She has unique sensibilities."

Oops. Lady Fancy had found it. Mai had thought it harmlessly amusing to hide one of her weapons in a room that was supposed to be about instilling tranquility.

Still, she kept her face blank and met Yuying's gaze with apparent indifference. She knew how this kind of thing worked, and babbling excuses or (worse!) apologizing would just get her into more trouble. "I wished to make a statement by the juxtaposition of an instrument of death with blossoms of life."

Ah, it was like being back in the Royal Academy- on one of the days when Azula wasn't around to get her out of trouble.

"And yet you hid the knife, so that the statement was inherent in the work but invisible to the observer." Yuying smiled and held the weapon out, two fingers suspending it at the hilt so that the handle was free to grasp. "I most likely wouldn't have found it if I wasn't so intimately familiar with blades, myself. I specialized in the Silver Dance, back in Deadly Arts For The Defense Of Our Honor And Bodies class."

Mai tried not to choke as she accepted the knife. The _Silver Dance?!_ That was one of those fighting arts that didn't just take years of rigorous practice to use without killing oneself, but also a freakish natural talent. Mai _probably_ could have learned it, if she'd wanted to put in the effort. Her own chosen Flying Daggers style had seemed easier, more fun, and less messy.

She responded by bowing. "It is an honor to be recognized by another artist."

"Hmmmm." Yuying turned back to Aunt Mura. "You must have your apprentice make a contribution to your display at the show. I look forward to what you both produce." She snapped her fingers.

Ty Lee finally stepped forward and used both hands to present a single card to Auntie. Mai tried to lean over so that she could see what was written on it-

* * *

"And that's how I got invited to participate in the Great Fire Flower Show, 115 Year of the Rooster, Ri Wu era." Mai waited to see if Zuko had any questions.

Unfortunately, for all that people liked to make jokes about his intelligence, if there was one thing Zuko was good at it, it was clutching onto an important idea (with his _teeth_ if necessary) and following all the way to the very ends of all knowledge. "But you didn't say how you knew there would be an attempt on my life! That's what I was specifically asking about!"

"Ah." Mai looked over at the Kyoshi Warriors who had joined the gathering to stand on either side of Zuko, in their once-matched-now-mismatched-by-random-holes-and-burn-marks uniforms, and decided to throw them under the dragon. "Well, your pretty bodyguards told me. That's why Ty Lee was in my Aunt's shop, when Suki could have assigned any of her warriors as your cousin's bodyguard. I thought it was implied."

Zuko blinked, and then spun to look at the pair of Kyoshi Warriors. Ty Lee managed to look sheepish underneath all that makeup.

Suki, of course, didn't back down. She had a lot of practice at it. "Mai's right. I brought her in on my authority as your Temporary Chief Bodyguard."

Zuko shut his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples, shutting out the flames and the people running around the blast-damaged walls and the ruined flowers scattered all over the place. "Why her?"

"Mai tells it so much better than me." Suki's painted, ash-smudged lips twisted into a smile. "I love her dour commentary."

Zuko opened his eyes and looked to Mai.

She sighed. Why did she feel the need to become friends with the girls who most irritated her? "Whatever. So, after Aunt Mura horrified me with a celebratory dance for getting invited to present at the greatest flower show on the planet..."

* * *

Mai was sweeping up at the day's end when Suki decided to drop by.

Although she was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki was not dressed up in that heavy, ostentatious armor, nor was she wearing the clown makeup that for some reason the last Earth Kingdom Avatar had favored. (Mai suspected it was so that she'd stand out in all the art of her adventures despite the many artists who could only paint one face. If so, it had backfired.) Suki was dressed in Fire Nation red, and in moderate finery that was more appropriate for Lower Harbor City than the earlier customer's getup.

Suki was incognito.

Mai suppressed a smile. She liked it when her warrior friends showed up incognito. "Who do you need stabbed?"

"Azula, if you know where to find her." Suki leaned on the shop's counter. "But she's not my immediate concern. That's more of a general stabbing I'd like."

Mai put the broom back in its corner. "You and the rest of the world. So, if it's not Azula (this time), what are the Kyoshi Warriors getting themselves into? And are you going to make me wear the makeup?"

Suki stuck her tongue out. "You haven't earned the right to wear makeup. But this time we're- um, well, it's kind of a Zuko thing."

Mai clutched her hands over her heart and let out a sigh. "Zuko, my one true love. Woe am I, that we are parted by the sum of our crimes against each other's hearts! In the cold of the night, I dream of his warmth, just as I know he dreams of mine, and yet an uncrossable gap keeps us separated! Will this adventure finally lead along a path to each other? I pin my hopes just as I pin my enemies to-"

* * *

"You didn't really say that," Zuko interrupted.

Suki was obviously biting the inside of her lip. Ty Lee was giggling.

Mai shrugged. "You know me too well."

* * *

Mai said, "I'm out."

Suki shook her head. "What, do you think I'm doing this to play matchmaker? I know about your issues with him. I was _there_ when he ordered you, as Fire Lord, not to break up with him. It was so traumatizing to witness that I couldn't get mad at Sokka's dumber antics for a whole year. Plus, I'm your friend."

Mai, of course, knew all of that, including the fact that this girl from an extremist Earth Kingdom island actually liked her. The problem was that she didn't quite understand this view of 'friendship' espoused by all of the people who were brought into her life by Zuko. They seemed to think that friends didn't sometimes take a little pleasure in each other's pain, or lash out at each other when life was being too relentless, or control each other through fear and abuse. Mai usually knew that, thanks to Ty Lee, but there were forgetful times.

Fortunately, all these friends were tolerant of that.

Mai nodded as much of an apology as she could muster. "So why me?"

"Because this flower show isn't the kind of place where armored guards are allowed to shove anyone then want, and yet I'm terrified for Zuko's life." Suki blew out a breath and straightened. "I take it you know about Lady Zuzka's Great Fire Flower Show?"

Mai nodded. It was famous enough that she'd heard about it even before she'd devoted her life to arranging the dead sexual organs of plants. "Lady Zuzka, little sister to Fire Lord Azulon, has held the show annually since before Ozai was alive. It's a celebration of Spring and gardening and romance, as well as Fire Nation culture blah blah blah I'm already bored, and one of the social events of the year, for a certain class."

"That's right. This year it's coming back to the capital, and Zuko has been invited as the guest of honor." Suki motioned as though she'd just made her case.

Mai grabbed a cloth to wipe down the counter. It was a perfectly clean counter, but perhaps it would send Suki the right message. "Sounds awful, but I'm not getting why Zuko would be in any great danger. The nobility hasn't sent an assassin after him in a while. At least a month."

Suki blinked. "Oh. You've been away too long."

"Too long for what?"

"Mai, Lady Zuzka has been a hardline Ozai-supporter up to a week ago. Zuko has never been invited to the flower show before, because his great aunt there considers him a traitor and usurper. But this year her granddaughter, Pangfua, is coming of age. Pangfua's official Society Debut is going to be on the last day of the show. Now, all of a sudden, Zuzka's rediscovered the importance of family and wants to pay tribute to Zuko's 'leadership and benevolent reform of the homeland.' That's unagi spit! Azula has been disinherited and Zuko has no heir, so if he dies, Zuzka herself - or her daughter Yuying, who you just met - becomes Fire Lord."

The picture was becoming clear to Mai. "So you're expecting Zuzka to set Zuko up."

"Exactly!"

"So get Aang. He loves flowers and bright colors. And Zuko has such a fun time threatening his life every time they have even a minor disagreement."

* * *

Zuko winced. "I hate how accurate that is."

* * *

Suki sighed. "He does. But this is a _Fire Nation_ event. If I could, I'd have Aang and Sokka and Katara and Toph all there. The only reason- get this, the only reason the Kyoshi Warriors are allowed in is because of Ty Lee. It seems that by the ancient blood laws, a Fire Nation noble joining our ranks actually makes us an extension of her house. I've apparently been adopted."

"Yeah, I know." Mai quirked an eyebrow. "What, did you think I got you into the palace as Zuko's bodyguards because of your makeup?"

"No, I assumed it was because of your persuasive personality and way with people."

"Heh. So you want me as a hidden knife you can rely on."

Suki reached over the counter to grab Mai's hands. "I _need_ you! No weapons are allowed. We're still short on Firebenders in the Royal Guard after the Kemurikage thing. Zuko's head of security sent a note begging me to bring the Kyoshi Warriors back to protect him. And I don't have enough people in case something goes really wrong. I can't get invitations for Aang and the others, but I _do_ know an apprentice florist with an In who's good in a fight and doesn't want Zuko to die."

Mai wondered if it would irreparably harm their friendship if she pulled her hands free. "I'm not going to pretend I don't care about the leader of my nation dying, but there has to be someone else. You know what you're asking of me. You know he's going to see me. You know why I broke up with him, or so you claim."

Suki snorted and let go of Mai's hands. "I do. And I know that, in spite of it all, you still love him."

Mai turned away. "No I don't. I dated other people."

"One guy! Who started off as a terrorist trying to manipulate you and switched sides only after you beat up all his friends! I don't even remember his name."

"...yeah, me neither." Mai sighed. "You really can't get anyone else?"

Suki shook her head and then made a _Ty Lee face_ with the big eyes and quivering lips.

"Ugh, she's been teaching that to you? Fine, as long as I'm at the stupid flower show anyway, I'll help you protect Zuko."

* * *

Zuko blinked. "Wow."

"Eh," Mai said, "don't let it go to your head."

Ty Lee leaned over Zuko's shoulder. "Um, as great as it is that you two are having this conversation, I think we're about to be in more trouble. Sorry."

Zuko said, "What?"

Mai said, "What?"

And then another assassin leapt at Zuko.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Quiet

**2 - Quiet**

Days before Mai would be forced to endure explosions, assassins, and polite conversation with her ex-boyfriend, she was forced to endure pink clothes, ceremony, and polite conversation with her ex-boyfriend.

The Great Fire Flower Show began at sunrise on the 47th day of Spring, almost six months after Lady Yuying's invitation, a day said to have spiritual resonance with human romance (whatever _that_ meant). Mai, Auntie Mura, and all of the other Flower Masters presenting at the show gathered in the bayside Royal Plaza while the sun was still hidden by the rise of the Capital Volcano. On the way, they'd passed through the start of a Love Festival in Lower Harbor City, and Mai was almost grateful for the flower show and the need to protect Zuko, if just to avoid everyone she knew prodding her to attend the festival and find herself a new boy-toy.

On the other hand, even at a Love Festival, she'd be allowed to wear her usual dark robes and hidden blades. For the flower show, a more _appropriate_ manner of apparel was encouraged.

"You know, Auntie, I don't mind the plants themselves-" Mai suppressed a shiver as a cool early morning breeze nibbled at her bare arms and slid through the slits on the sides of her skirt to tickle her legs. "-but if I knew I'd eventually have to _dress_ like a flower, I probably wouldn't have become your apprentice. No offense."

Aunt Mura rolled her eyes but still offered a smile. "Mai, the color pink can't hurt you. To most other people, a pink dress is just a way to celebrate the season, not a flower costume. But I do thank you for enduring this discomfort. Now, shhh, the ceremony is starting."

That was why Auntie was one of Mai's favorite relatives. Sure, they completely disagree with each other's worldviews, but she didn't consider Mai's to actually be _wrong._ That was refreshing. And at least Auntie had gratitude for Mai's sacrifice.

At the end of the plaza, where the big tent had been set up to house the flower show, Lady Zuzka was emerging to face the crowd. A step behind her was the unmistakable figure of a Kyoshi Warrior, but Mai couldn't make out which one from this distance. (She wasn't cartwheeling, so it probably wasn't Ty Lee.) Following in a line were (slightly) more fashionable dressers, starting with Zuzka's daughter Lady Yuying and continuing with the various Special Guests. Mai recognized a number of important people from the Caldera, as well as less-important-but-still-fairly-important personalities from the various islands of the Fire Nation.

Mai also recognized Zuko, in the place of honor at the end of the line, but she tried not to recognize her recognition. In that, she failed rather spectacularly.

She also failed to recognize the teenage girl hanging on Zuko's arm and leaning into him.

Something Mai did succeed at, though, was not making an emotionally-stunted claim that she didn't care if Zuko was involved with someone else. She _did_ care. And seeing it hurt. She just wished very much that she didn't, and recognizing her own feelings was part of the healing process. Or something.

She hugged herself and ran her hands over her bare arms, wishing she could wear her knives.

Lady Zuzka, despite being somewhere around five hundred and seven years old (Mai was guess-timating), stood tall and raised her arms as the sun dawned over the top of the Capital volcano. "The light returns! We give honor to Fire Lord Gunh, seed of the House of Fire."

Everyone in the crowd clapped twice and bowed, simultaneously. It was pretty impressive, if you liked that kind of thing.

The crowd rose again, and Lady Zuzka answered, "We give honor to Fire Lord Yu, son of Gunh and celebrated Spirit-Cleaver."

The crowd clapped twice and bowed again, and Mai mentally did the math of how long it would take to run through the entire known dynasty of the Royal Family.

Oh, only an hour.

Wee.

But she endured it, and at least no one was telling her to look interested in what was going on. The only notable part came at the end, when Zuzka announced that everyone here should give honor to Sozin's father, great reuniter of the islands and blah blah blah, and then skipped to, "We give honor to Zuko, Lord of Peace."

Everyone clapped and bowed again.

Wooo, that was a pretty hot political take, and in the Fire Nation those could run so hot they burst into flame. Suki was right- Zuzka was really trying to butter her great-nephew up.

But, sadly for Mai's ability to stay awake, no one took that as their cue to try to assassinate Zuko. Not that she actually wanted Zuko in danger, even if that girl was still holding onto his arm, but getting into a brawl with a professional killer was all kinds of fun.

Lady Zuzka clapped three times, ending the Litany of the Ancestors. "I hereby declare the Great Fire Flower Show, 115 Year of the Rooster, Ri Wu era, as open! Attend to your arrangements, and let us bask in the beauty and energy of the flower." The old lady led the Guests of Honor back into the tent, and then the gathered Flower Masters followed.

Mai actually had to hurry to keep up with Aunt Mura as they made their way to the section of the tent where their own arrangements would be displayed. "Eager much?"

Auntie slowed - just a little bit - and let out a laugh that sounded halfway to a sigh. "I'm just nervous, I suppose. I know nothing could have happened to the display while we were out here, but- I want everything to be perfect. Selling flowers is one thing, but this- I don't get much chance to just be a pure artist."

Mai ran through her mental catalogue of Comforting Human Gestures, picked one that seemed appropriate to the situation, and patted Auntie Mura on the shoulder. Just because Mai considered flower-arranging to be nothing more than a job that put food on the table didn't mean she couldn't understand her aunt's passion for it.

Mai was a very good niece that way.

She wondered who that girl with Zuko was.

And she wished she had her weapons.

* * *

The flower show's first attendees began arriving as soon as the last of the dark was chased from the sky, and that soon became a steady stream of people claiming to actually be fascinated by flower arrangements. The really fancy people from the Caldera were probably lying, the people of more modest means from Lower Harbor City were probably actually enjoying themselves because the displays were quite impressive, and the grubby laborers from Upper Harbor City were probably split between liking flowers and just wanting to make some kind of social statement with their presence.

 

Mai kept to her Aunt's section of the show - or, as the sign proclaimed it, 'Mura & Apprentice Present: The Rich Energies of the Blooms of Love with Subtle Scent of Empowering Tea' - a space that was really just a square created by shelves and platforms but had been transformed by the arrangements of blossoms and fronds and seeds and petals into a little universe of color and feeling. Mai herself had designed and created a small display on the left side, just to showcase her own professional skill, but most of her role her was to help Aunt Mura with the construction and presentation of the rest. She bowed to the visitors and explained the arrangements and didn't roll her eyes at stupid questions and bad jokes.

She noticed quite a few young men and women wearing Passion Buds pinned to their clothes. They must have gotten the things at the Love Festival. A few boys even eyed Mai herself while holding spare buds, but thankfully Fire Nation society had seen fit to develop a discreet hand gesture that meant, "I'm _working_ right now, so while I might theoretically be flattered by whatever you want to say to me, if you actually attempt to say it I will probably set you on fire and/or drain you of blood with my weapon of choice."

Handy, that.

But of course Mai didn't dare make such a gesture when Lady Zuzka, Lady Yuying, and Zuko came to view the display. Zuko had daisies sewn or glued to his robes.

And that girl was still clutching his arm, pressing tightly to her chest.

Mai looked behind Zuko, to where Suki was playing bodyguard, and glared at her. There _better_ be an assassination attempt, and it _better_ be deadly enough to require Mai's intervention. Suki gave a shrug even more subtle than Mai's hand gestures.

Mai and Aunt Mura bowed to the group as one, and she stepped back deferentially as Auntie began, "Welcome to my display. I am-"

"HAAAAAACHPLOOOOOOOO!!"

Everyone looked over to the Kyoshi Warrior standing behind Lady Zuzka- a girl named Chijin, Mai recognized.

"My apologies." Chijin smoothly wiped her nose with her armored gauntlet and bobbed her head. "Allergies."

Mai suppressed a wince as Aunt Mura picked up with the spiel again. She was still wondering if allergies could be fatal when she noticed that Zuko had stepped away from the others to stand in front of Mai.

"Hi," he whispered.

Mai's Fire Lord was requesting a quiet conversation, it seemed. She bowed her head and whispered back, "Fire Lord."

His good eye tightened a bit at her formality. "I didn't realize you're still working for your aunt." He kept his attention moving across the floral display, obviously trying to keep this conversation deniable.

Mai raised her eyebrows and turned as if her attention was on the flowers, too, but she kept Zuko and The Girl On His Arm firmly in the corner of her vision. "I'm surprised Ty Lee and Suki haven't included it in their spy reports."

Still on Zuko's arm, The Girl blinked with confusion. "Zuko, I'm confused. Do you know the flower girl?"

Zuko huffed out a breath that Mai could feel the heat of. "Pangfua, this is Mai. Mai, this is my cousin, Pangfua. Second cousin, I think it goes? She's Aunt Zuzka's grand-daughter, and Aunt Zuzka is my grandfather Azulon's sister-"

"I understand the dynamics, thank you," Mai whispered. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Pangfua. I look forward to your Debut."

"The pleasure is mine. Thank you for your participation in the show." She had the dark hair of the royal family, not as dark as Mai's but a better compliment to the colorful clothes that seemed to the uniform of the day. Her golden eyes were big and youthful, and she batted her eyelashes as she rested her head on Zuko's shoulder. "Can you believe I only got to meet Zuko yesterday? And we're family! But he's been so kind to me. I feel like I love him already. So, how _do_ you know my cousin?"

Zuko's face had gone as red as a royal flag by this point, and he was sporting an expression like he'd just gotten confirmation that the Avatar hadn't died under Ba Sing Se after all.

Mai, fortunately, had far too much self-respect to get hissy about the situation. She kept her voice low as she replied, "I used to serve the Royal Family during the war." And then, because she liked playing with knives, she added, "Apparently I served it for a year after the war, as well, but I had thought the arrangement more informal than that."

It took Zuko a second to catch the implication. His voice rose to something like a squeak as he said, " _Mai-_ "

Mai caught Ladies Zuzka and Yuying turning at the outburst (and poor Chijin giving another moist-sounding sneeze) and motioned to the nearest cluster of plants. "These are called Dragon's Tears, my Lord, for the way they catch the light and glisten with a golden quality. Aside from their beauty, they have a rather wide range of meanings in the language of the flowers, including..."

As Mai rattled through her Dead Plant Trivia, she was aware of Zuko's gaze pressing at her, but her little performance was keeping him quiet. He wouldn't dare embarrass her in front of the people running this whole thing. He was a considerate person, in that way. And, she could admit, maybe he still loved her.

Too bad that wasn't enough for either of them.

Mai transitioned things smoothly back to Aunt Mura, and then the visit was over. Lady Zuzka led the group away to the next stall, Zuko trailing at the end and giving her a lingering look full of questions.

Too bad she didn't have any answers. At least, none she wanted to get into here.

Pangfua looked back, too, and wore a smile full of so much delight that even Ty Lee would have advised toning it down a little.

What a dimwit.

The rest of the day was much more boring, and by the time the show closed for the night, Mai felt like she'd fought off an entire army.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Blood

**3 - Blood**

Mai was just about to get out of the bath when the Fire Lord arrived for a visit.

Fortunately, unlike some of the visits he'd made to her in the past, he didn't show up by crawling through her window wearing a blue demon mask. If he had tried that this time, she might have been forced to actually kill him, and she really didn't want to be thrown in a royal dungeon while she still had responsibilities at the flower show.

So when Aunt Mura knocked on the bathroom door and hissed to throw on some clothes and get downstairs now because _the Fire Lord was sitting in their parlor (and he hadn't brought The Clingy Girl),_ Mai was free to slip while leaping out of the tub, run around trying to figure out where she'd left her towel, stop and tell herself that she didn't need to be flustered because Zuko was her _ex_ -boyfriend and she didn't want to change that status, rush out to her bedroom, put her knives on backwards, put her clothes on backwards, and _remind herself that this was her ex and he could just wait for her to get dressed properly_.

She arrived in the parlor (properly dressed, hair still damp) to find Zuko sitting down with a cup of tea. "Fire Lord, thank you for gracing my home with your royal- aw, no bodyguards? I was hoping for Ty Lee."

Zuko put his tea down and stood up with all the grace of a komodo rhino. "If you want to keep addressing me by my title, I know I deserve it, but you can consider your point made."

"Have I, now? That's good to know." She thought about making a comment about him getting it quicker than she expected, but a moment's pause let her realize that the thought was in _Azula's_ voice, and she let it go as needlessly cruel.

Zuko brought his hands together and bowed to her at the waist. "I apologize for ordering you to stay with me. You were right to break up with me, after the secrets I kept from you. I thought that if I could just explain things better, you wouldn't leave, and- I picked the worst possible way to handle your walking out." He let out a heavy breath. "If it helps, I said so immediately after you left the room. Suki can confirm it."

This was unexpectedly promising. Not that Mai appreciated having to wait almost two years to get an apology, but at least she had it now. "Why do you think I was right?"

He rose, his body much more relaxed. "Because I lied and kept secrets. Even- even if you don't want to take me back, I promise I'll never do that again." He reached out and grabbed her hands, wrapping them in his own. "I won't hurt you. Not anymore."

Oh.

Wow.

He didn't really understand at all.

"Duly noted." Mai yanked her hands free. "Why are you here?"

He blinked, and the stiffness returned to his form as he took a step back from her. "I- uh, I thought you might have gotten the wrong impression from- from earlier. My cousin-"

Mai couldn't keep herself from making a noise of annoyance. "Whatever. It's fine, Zuko. I really don't care what's going on with Pangfua, or if anything at all is going on with anyone."

Zuko shook his head. "A year ago I didn't have any family but a sister who hates me. Then there was everything with my Mother, and I got a new little sister who thinks I know everything! But- but you know I _don't._ And six months ago Aunt Zuzka reached out, bringing that whole branch of the family back with their political power and expertise, and- and now I have a very friendly cousin who likes to sew flowers on my robes- but there's still something missing."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "This is a lead-in to hitting on me again, isn't it?"

From the staircase, Mai heard Aunt Mura bark a laugh.

Zuko's shoulders slumped. "I still miss you. More every day. Especially when Pangfua won't let go of my arm."

Mai snorted, putting on a show of indifference even as the very idea had her stomach roiling. "Yes, I noticed that she's very possessive. Whether that's because she's happy to have a new cousin, or if she just wants close ties to the supreme ruler of the Fire Nation, is beyond my political acumen." She thought about warning Zuko about Zuzka and that whole branch of the family, but decided not to complicate things. Suki and Ty Lee would have mentioned it, at least. No point in redundantly disparaging The Clingy Girl. "Why not tell her to be a little less physically affectionate?"

Zuko immediately got a hunted look on his face. "I can't do that!"

He was scared of a teenage girl.

Zuko was lightening up.

But then, they all were. Before the Boiling Rock, Mai wouldn't have been able to recognize her own jealousy. She wouldn't have been able to _forsake_ that jealousy and resist the temptation to disparage Pangfua to Zuko.

Whether that was growing up, or just a form of healing, was another thing beyond Mai's understanding. "I'm sorry you still miss me, Zuko, and I appreciate your apology. I miss you, too, but nothing has changed. I'm not interested in being together anymore."

"Why not?"

Mai shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it without being awful. Please, just accept what I'm saying? For now, at least? I really don't want to have to juggle everything for the flower show with you hounding me for another chance. With Mother away, it's just Aunt Mura and me, so-" She shrugged. Zuko didn't really care, and neither did she.

He sighed. "Okay. I'm sorry to bother you. Please thank your aunt for the tea." He turned to leave-

And Aunt Mura stepped into the parlor. "Oh, are you going already? Your presence in my home was an honor."

Zuko managed a smile for her. "The honor is mine. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Mai- she- I'm glad she has family like you."

Mai finally found herself able to display her own small smile. "She's my favorite aunt, even if she _did_ reply to my asking to freeload here with an offer of room and board in exchange for throwing flowers at people."

Auntie gave her a mock scowl. "How many times have I told you? Only throw the flowers if the customers have paid for _express delivery!_ You see, Fire Lord, what a troublesome apprentice I have?"

Zuko actually chuckled. "She's always been my favorite kind of trouble. She never let me get complacent. I can see why you value her enough to make her a real apprentice."

Mai's stomach churned again. Some girls liked to spin fantasies about weddings and babies and adventures with their lovers, but Mai's daydreams had always involved jamming knives into Ozai's eyes and beating up Azula until she agreed to never hurt Zuko again. Mai had wanted to be Zuko's champion, and even got to play the part temporarily at the Boiling Rock. She thought she'd get the chance to help him become the greatest Fire Lord in history with her knives and sarcastic wit-

And then she'd left him alone.

For a good reason.

But he was still alone.

She found herself dearly hoping that Zuzka and Yuying and even Pangfua were being honest with their allegiance. Zuko deserved some good family. (And everything she'd heard about Ursa had Mai highly suspicious.) She just couldn't provide that herself.

Zuko moved to go-

-he looked so lonely-

-and Mai said, "I need to get some dinner for Auntie and I, anyway. Why don't I walk with you for a bit?"

Aunt Mura gave a clap of her hands. "Yes, some Pang's Glorious Take-Out sounds good! But I'm not so hungry that you kids need to hurry. Take your time!"

Good ol' supportive Aunt Mura. "Just give me a minute to find a hat I can stuff all this hair into."

Zuko immediately brightened. "It looks nice, hanging down like that."

"No, it doesn't. It's tangled and still wet. You just think I look nice because I'm back in dark clothes."

"You didn't look bad, earlier, but-" Zuko shrugged. "Pink that bright doesn't really go with your complexion."

Mai smiled. "Exactly! See, everyone else tries to lie to me about that."

The dumbest possible smile came over Zuko's face. "I'll never lie to you again. Not by words, not by omission."

Now, instead of her stomach giving her trouble, her heart seemed to be skipping beats. Stupid body. To cover it up, Mai gave a toss of her hair and said, "Eh, you're just so used to seeing my hair done up that this probably looks amazingly erotic to you. It's a wonder you can form words."

She left to find a hat before anyone could react, but she heard Zuko's squeak and Auntie's groan all the way down the hall.

* * *

And of course it turned out that the only path to Pang's Glorious Take-Out took Mai (in a tasteful head-scarf) and Zuko straight through the Love Festival that was bumming attention off the flower show.

"My Aunt Mura," Mai declared as they passed onto a moonlit lane lined by local merchant stalls, "is using her intelligence for evil."

Zuko snorted something like a laugh from beneath the hood he was using to hide his face. "If this is the worst I'm manipulated during this whole thing, I'll consider it a good week."

"No doubt."

They emerged into a torch-lit public park, which was apparently being devoted to festival games. People in masks flitted about, trying to identify which mask might be hiding their lover before gambling their pride and safety with a kiss. Roving groups of Hunters chased individuals wearing hats with stuffed fox-doves on top of them, hoping to shove the hatted quarry to the ground and win the game with a forced kiss to claim them for the rest of the festival. Lovers tied back-to-back sparred with bamboo blades against other couples to see who would win the tournament and claim the grand prize of a special good luck charm. And newlyweds explored the festival with bundles of cheap smoke-roses in their arms, tossing flowers to solitary individuals with wishes of finding love in the future.

It was all fairly tedious and uncomfortably aggressive, just like most of the Fire Nation's celebrations.

"And here I thought," Mai said, "that the flower show would protect me from having to experience this nonsense."

"Do you like it?"

Mai turned to Zuko and quirked an eyebrow. "Hm?"

He leaned so that he could look at her from beneath his hood. "Working with flowers, I mean. I- I never would have expected you to stick with it this long."

Mai could only nod. "Me neither. But Auntie started telling me I'm actually good at it, arranging the things so that they have meaning and eye appeal. It's not as exciting as fighting for my life, but- well, there's no war anymore. Fighting is going to be an increasingly troubled way to make a living."

A group of Hunters, mostly girls, stampeded across their path, chasing a laughing boy with a stuffed orange bird on his head. Mai led the way around them, passing into the shadow of a large tree that loomed over the center of the park.

Zuko said, "It must be nice, to be good at something that people actually appreciate."

Mai considered it. "If you say so. I've never really worried about it."

They were silent for another long moment, nearing the edge of the tree's shadow. Then Zuko cleared his throat and pushed his hood back a little. "Do you- uhhh-"

"Do I what?"

"I- I came tonight to clear things up about Pangfua, but- I never thought until now to ask you- if you- I mean, there was Kei Lo-"

Mai blinked. " _That_ was his name! Thank you. I keep forgetting."

Zuko looked at her like he wasn't sure if she was joking. (She wasn't sure either.) "But, if there's someone else-"

Mai stopped just short of the shadow's end. "Are you asking me if _I_ have a little fan holding onto my arm all day? Or if I've been doing a little of that, myself?"

Zuko took another step, emerging into the light of the torches keeping the festivities going in the dark, and then spun and stood to face her. "Both, I guess."

Mai looked him right in his eyes, one pale and one scarred. "No. Just because I don't want to be with you- it doesn't mean it's easy to want to be with someone else."

He nodded. "And you've tried."

"I have."

They stood. Staring at each other.

And then a couple hurried by with ash-roses in their arms. The woman spotted Zuko, and must have missed Mai in the shadows, for she took one of the roses and threw it to him.

Zuko caught it in the air without shifting his gaze. "Do you want me to try, too?"

"Maybe you should." She looked at the rose in his hands. "Does it hurt?"

He grimaced under his hood. "It has since the day you left."

"No, I mean-" Her voice caught, and she had to force it to return to say, "The rose wasn't trimmed properly. Did the thorn stick you?"

Zuko looked to his hand and opened it to reveal the ash-rose and the single thorn that the florist must have missed. It glistened red with his blood, and there a small gash right in the palm of his hand.

Mai reached out-

Zuko said, "I don't even feel it, compared to- um-"

Mai froze. She lowered her hands and sighed. "Good night, Zuko. I'll probably see you at the show, tomorrow."

She walked away, leaving him standing in the light with the rose in his hands.

She got all the way home before she realized that she forgot about dinner.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Childhood

**4 - Childhood**

The second day of the flower show dawned warmer than the first, but Mai still felt underdressed.

She was wearing a sunshine yellow outfit today - the worst possible color to pair with her pale skin and hair so black people sometimes mistook it for a premonition of impending doom - and once again giving the world a rare look at her bare limbs. The outfit completely lacked sleeves, and paired a short skirt with a long outer robe to give the illusion of modesty while completely failing to cover her legs to anyone interested in the matter.

Mai hated being this exposed, but it was important that she be visibly unarmed, and familiar with her knew just how many different small weapons could be hidden in a sleeve or trouser leg.

If there were assassins here at the flower show, Mai wanted them to dismiss her as a threat.

At least her yellow clothes (with pink flowers embroidered on them, to Ty Lee's delight and Mai's exasperation) blended well with the display that she and Aunt Mura had created for today. It was basically the same as the day before, but they swapped out the flowers that were beginning to droop or wilt, freshened up the scattered petals, and added some additional blossoms in a variety of shades of blue. It cooled the feel of the overall assembly, somewhat, while at the same time giving it a bolder and fresher look, since the color was rarely featured in Fire Nation art. It certainly drew some oohing and ahhing from visitors, and at least one person declared it to be the most disgusting thing he had ever seen. That alone proved that Aunt Mura was a true artist.

When Suki came by the display, just after the show opened, she had said, "Oh. It- it kind of makes me think of Sokka." Which was probably meant to be a compliment, but Mai was making no assumptions.

Suki was there, of course, with Zuko, acting as his bodyguard. Zuko had offered compliments of a much more vague nature, and completely avoided making eye-contact with Mai.

It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did.

She was still bothered, hours later, when Pangfua dropped by (with a red-eyed and drippy-nosed Kyoshi Warrior Chijin as her bodyguard). It was the first time Mai had seen the girl not hanging off Zuko like a viper-leech.

"Wow," Pangfua breathed as she stepped into display space. She was wearing pink again today, making her stand out amidst all the blue. "You're using color to challenge my emotional expectations while subverting my inevitable resistance with a classical foundation that combines to promote intellectual stimulation. Very nice!"

("HAAAAAACHPLOOOOOOOOOO," added Chijin. "Sawby. Owahgies.")

Aunt Mura tittered. "The way you describe it, my lady, I might have done that on purpose. I like the way the blue makes me feel, and with today being more crowded than yesterday, I thought it was a good feeling to share."

Before she could stop herself (and after a sympathetic nod to Chijin), Mai added, "I had no idea you were such an intellectual, truly."

Pangfua beamed, apparently not insulted. "Flowers are my grandmother's passion, and I couldn't really help learning about the art of arranging them. I think it's all okay, but I have to admit that we have some spectacular visuals here at the show this year."

"Oh, it's all amazing, my lady. You must convey my thanks to your moving for inviting me to present here. There are even people adding torches and dancing poodle-monkeys to their arrangements!" Aunt Mura motioned upward, as if this was the height of horticulture, and sighed. "I'll have to step up my game."

Pangfua offered a shrug. "Not necessarily. The Best in Show will be requested to build me a dress out of flowers for my Social debut, tomorrow. I would rather not have to worry about real fire or dancing animals. I'm even less interested in extreme fashion than weird floral displays."

Well, Mai could acknowledge that as a good point. "So what _is_ your passion?" She successfully resisted the urge to add, "Besides your second cousin the Fire Lord, I mean."

Pangfua's smile grew wistful. "I like music. Not just music that's nice to listen to, but all kinds. The new Colonial Influence is my favorite trend right now, and I've always tried to attend as many Muzika Kai matches as I can. It's a very exciting time right now for music, actually."

Huh. Mai would not have expected someone of Pangfua's class to be into the new Colonial Influence stuff. The nobility generally considered that kind of industrial sound to be a crime against culture. Kind of like the heavy use of blue or green. "Interesting tastes."

Pangfua's gaze returned to ground level, and the smile she turned to Mai became decidedly sharp. "Thank you. I truly feel like we're kindred spirits, in that way." It softened again, and she looked to Aunt Mura. "But don't worry about trying to compete with the dancing poodle-monkeys. Keep this between us, but my grandmother is heavily considering _your_ display for Best in Show."

Aunt Mura gasped, and covered her mouth with her hands. "Truly?"

Pangfua winked. "But you didn't hear that from me." She looked back at Chijin, who had just sneezed again. "Maybe say that this girl gave it away."

Aunt Mura gave a shaky nod. "Are- are you sure? It's just that I'm only a working florist, and some of the displays here-"

Pangfua gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Yeah, they're fancy, but those are just gimmicks. Grandmother prefers when people do more with less. It shows more advanced skill."

Mai was happy for her Auntie, but couldn't help but wonder why Clingy Girl was being so friendly. "Not a bad philosophy. It's why I've always preferred knives to swords. But I admit I'm curious about the dancing poodle-monkeys."

"Ooh, do you want to come see with me?!" Pangfua trotted over to Mai and took her hands. "I could show you, and we could talk and become friends! _Ah,_ and I can paint some pink cherry blossoms on your arms and legs! I brought my paints, and it will look _so_ pretty with your clothes! It would be a nice way to get to know each other better!"

Ugh, Mai couldn't think of anything worse (that didn't involve a violent encounter with Azula) than spending more time with this girl and being body-painted, but technically Pangfua was one of her patrons right now, and one did not insult the people who were paying for the fresh flowers set to be delivered tomorrow morning.

But Pangfua was apparently a big part of Zuko's life now. "Well, uh, I have to work-"

"Oh, it's fine, Mai, go see the monkeys." Aunt Mura winked. "I think it would be good for you two to become better friends. Get some lunch while you're away, and just be back before the afternoon crowds arrive."

"Hooray," Pangfua squeaked, squeezing Mai's hands but thankfully stopping short of a full hug.

Mai had no idea why Auntie was betraying her like this, but she could hardly escape now. "Um, okay. Let's go see the monkeys, then."

* * *

The dancing poodle-monkeys _were_ impressive, but Mai couldn't really discern the connection to horticulture. She was a bit more taken by another display with a full fire fountain as the centerpiece, a big blaze generated by a gas torch that sent light dancing across the flowers below, but the most impressive part was the mystery of how the flowers weren't wilting in the heat.

Then they grabbed lunch, Mai leading the way to a vendor selling sizzle rolls and Pangfua, surprisingly, ordering two bags for herself. But then, perhaps that was the point. Mai was off-balance enough - between the tasty food and getting to see Lady Yuying's daughter shove a whole sizzle roll in her mouth - that afterward she didn't realize until it was too late that Pangfua had dragged her to the 'Special Guest pavilion,' sat her down, and began painting pink cherry petals on one of her arms.

It was like a day out with Ty Lee, only with no promise of going out looking for fights at the end.

The only thing Mai could think to say was, "Why cherries?"

Pangfua giggled. "I love cherry blossoms, don't you? They're so pretty and pink and romantic! My sixteenth birthday was a few weeks ago, right when the trees began to blossom. I had to wait for the flower show to make my Social Debut, but this way I can still have cherry petals around. Zuko promised to let me paint some on the back on his hands tomorrow."

"Did he? Wow."

Mai had failed to fake any enthusiasm, but Pangfua didn't seem to mind. She just kept tickling Mai's bare arms with her set paintbrush.

Then she said, "So what're your deal?"

(Nearby, Chijin sneezed, hiccupped, and sniffled.)

Mai immediately went into combat mode, her face going blank and her mind picking out vectors. "Pardon?"

Pangfua waved impatiently with her free hand. "I've been asking around. I know about you serving Princess Azula, and then betraying her for Zuko. People say you're a gold-digging wh- _courtesan_ who saw the defeat of the Old Regime coming and threw in with the more powerful side."

"Yes." Mai kept her expression completely neutral. "I've heard that, too."

Pangfua deftly created a new pink petal near Mai's elbow out of nothing but a few flicks of her brush. "How those stupid gossipers reconcile that with you trying to sacrifice your life at the Boiling Rock, I have no idea, never mind how everyone knows that _you_ dumped _Zuko_ two years ago."

Mai gave a single-shoulder shrug. "People are people, I guess." It was a fairly safe statement.

"They _are,_ aren't they? But still leaves you as a mystery."

Mai had learned much, since the end of the war, about how to be a functional human being who didn't need to stab people to maintain a will to live. She was glad for that knowledge, and put it to use every day.

But sometimes, she still needed the lessons she'd had forced on her by Azula. Like, for example, tricking an enemy who was expecting you to retreat by _attacking with an intent to kill._

So Mai said, "I'm a delicate introvert whose spirit was battered into cynicism over the course of a miserable childhood. Now, I chase fleeting thrills by getting into fights and flouting social expectations. Ironically, I fall back onto displaying grace and politeness whenever I want to hide the feelings that render me vulnerable, making me either a hypocrite or a transgressive performance artist. I also really like throwing sharp metal through the air, but surprisingly enough, that has nothing to do with my various issues. I just like it. So, what's _your_ deal?"

Pangfua blinked, frozen in the middle of laying down a cherry blossom on Mai's porcelain skin.

Mai leaned forward and smiled like a pythonaconda. "You asked."

(Chijin sneezed amidst her chuckling.)

Pangfua blinked again. "I- yes, I did. I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to really try to answer." She focused on finishing the swirl of cherry blossoms now winding their way up Mai's forearms.

Mai couldn't help but notice how _young_ Pangfua seemed right now, caught off-balance by some snarky conversation and coping by painting stupid little flowers. And yet she was sixteen. At _fifteen_ , Mai had marched into The Impenetrable City with nothing but a stolen disguise and Azula's tactical genius to conquer the largest nation in the world. She was only _eighteen_ now, just two years Pangfua's senior. Pangfua was a legal adult in the Fire Nation, able to marry and own property and go to war.

She had no business making Mai feel old.

But, on the other hand, Mai had no nostalgia for her childhood. She'd brought along the only good things about it.

Except for Zuko.

Was that a case of leaving behind something that had hurt her, or losing track of one of the few things that had helped her survive?

Maybe maturing was realizing that sometimes it could be both.

Was it possible for Zuko to maybe become one or the other? If Mai helped him understand-

Wouldn't the adult thing to be to try?

"There, finished," said Pangfua. She blew on Mai's arms, sure enough, a swirl of painted pink petals appeared to have been swept by the wind across the pale skin.

Mai could think of eight different melodramatic metaphors she could have made out of cherry blossoms, half of them bemoaning her ascension into adulthood, three optimistically looking back at childhood with pride at having survived, and one of them a fairly stupid sex joke.

So Mai just stood up and said, "Thanks, kid. They're not at all my style, but they look nice."

Pangfua rose as well. "You're welcome, but I'm not a kid. If we're going to be friends, you're going to have to acknowledge that."

"Your social debut isn't until tomorrow." Mai gave a dismissive wave, and it was like a flurry of blossoms swept across the space between them. "You're not allowed to do anything fit for my kind of nastiness until tomorrow."

And Pangfua _blanched_ at that. "Oh- uh- right. Tomorrow. Yes."

Mai had no idea what that was about, and didn't particularly care. She bobbed her head and said, "See you then."

As she walked away, Chijin sneezed.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Connection

**5 - Connection**

The second and longest day of the flower show had come to an end.

The guests were politely but firmly sent away to get a life by official security staff. The presenters all put down their fake smiles, massaged their feet, and/or dashed for bathrooms. Sweepers came in, grumbling about flower petals and - in one particular display area - poodle-monkey droppings. The hired poets stationed at desks throughout the tent stretched their writing hands, piled up the papers of poetry inspired by all the flowers, and tried to get their brains to stop coming up the with synonyms for 'blossom.'

Mai and Auntie tidied up their arrangements and then headed with the other presenters to the Special Guest pavilion. The closing ceremony was much like the one held yesterday, with Lady Zuzka leading all of the presenters in a dedication to the Spirit of the Sun that concluded with everyone knocking back a ceremonial glass of fine Cassia wine. And then they mixed things up a little by having Lady Yuying announce that Aunt Mura was officially the Best in Show.

Huh. Mai had to admit Pangfua's prediction was right. She was half-expecting it to be a tease or manipulation or something. Somehow, despite Ty Lee's existence, Mai kept forgetting that not every cute Fire Nation girl was Azula.

Auntie actually burst into happy tears, and although Mai didn't usually like risking contact with other people's bodily moisture, she went ahead and gave a congratulatory hug. "You earned it."

Aunt Mura sniffed and squeezed her back. "Thank you for all your help. I know this isn't really your passion, but you've done so much to make it possible. I couldn't ask for a better apprentice."

Everyone cheered, and Mai heard Pangfua's exuberant squeals rising above the rest of the crowd.

"You have our congratulations," Lady Zuzka said once the cheers died down. "Tomorrow my granddaughter will be officially presented into Fire Nation society, and I ask of you to design and make a dress for her that embodies the spirit of the Great Fire Flower Show." Everyone cheered again, and Zuzka added, "I look forward to seeing everyone's final presentations tomorrow. Let's close out my show with the same vision and diligence you have brought thus far. For now, good night, and (peaceful) glory to the Fire Nation!"

And that was that.

Lady Yuying came over to Aunt Mura to discuss the specifics of the dress-making (apparently, a team of tailors would be on hand for the actual construction, and Auntie was just expected to provide a general design and stick some flowers on the thing), giving everyone else a chance to make their. Then it was finally time for Mai and Aunt Mura to go home, too, and they headed to the rear of the big tent. There was an opening being used as a service entrance, with only a few of the staff around still taking care of their after-hours duties-

-and that's where she bumped into a woman in a hooded cloak who squeaked in Suki's voice.

Mai stopped.

She angled to peek under the hood.

Suki, face fully painted as a Kyoshi Warrior, gave her a rueful grin. "Hi."

And then a _second_ figure in a cloak pulled back his hood just enough for Mai to identify Zuko. He smiled, and then immediately forced himself into his Serious Fire Lord Expression. "Mai, what a surprise to meet you here. I was trying to avoid the crowds, and-"

"Zuko," Mai interrupted, "you set an ambush and ordered Suki to bump into me, and you know it. That's a horrible abuse of your bodyguard."

Suki snorted as she slipped back behind Zuko.

He didn't look at all chagrined. In fact, the smile returned to his face. "Pangfua said that you two bonded and became life-long girlfriends today. I wanted to check to make sure you survived."

Now _Mai_ found herself smiling. She held up a painted forearm, the swirls of cherry blossom petals tracing a path up to her elbow. "This _better_ wash off, or your cutesy second-cousin is going to be in trouble."

"If not, we could-" He paused as his sense of wit caught up with his mouth. "-paint over it? It would take a lot of white with a touch of honey, but I can get the Royal Fire Portrait Guy to give it a try."

"Royal Fire Portrait Guy?" Mai raised her eyebrows. "That's a thing?"

"Probably. I seem to have a Royal Fire everything. Sometimes I'm scared of discovering what the next one will be in charge of."

Mai laughed, and Zuko beamed, and she realized she was _flirting with her ex-boyfriend._ Not to mention how familiar she was being. Ugh, this was what happened when she had to deal with _people_ all day. It was more exhausting than chasing a sky bison across the Earth Kingdom countryside for a night and a day. Literally.

She took her amusement, shanked it in the kidneys, and left the body to rot in a back alley in her mind somewhere. "Well, it has been an honor to receive the Fire Lord's attention once again, but I must off. Auntie needs to figure out what your cousin will be wearing tomorrow-"

"Which I can do more easily without my bothersome apprentice getting underfoot," Aunt Mura put in. "You can help with the construction, but the design needs a master's touch."

Mai folded her arms over her chest and glared at her Auntie. "Really?"

"Of course."

"It's just that Zuko seems to be about to ask me out to dinner or something, _despite last night making it clear that my missing him doesn't mean I want to get back together._ You know my feelings on that matter, too, but you tricked me to going to the Love Festival with him, and now you're practically shoving me into his arms. Are you going to rip my clothes off for him next?"

Zuko blushed and said, "Uh-"

Aunt Mura put her hands on her hips. "And if you don't actually want to go with Zuko, you're more than capable of making that clear. But it seems to me that you're looking for excuses, so as a dutiful aunt I am providing them."

Zuko tried, "I think-"

Mai snorted. "Obviously, I'm very conflicted about my feelings for Zuko. Shouldn't you, as my supportive elder, be protecting me from myself?"

Zuko mumbled, "That's not-"

Aunt Mura barked a laugh. "Niece, I might not be married, but I earned this gray hair _the fun way._ Letting you stumble into situations where your heart might get broken _is_ protecting you from yourself. And if you get hurt, I'll help you pick up the pieces, hold you while you cry, and make sure that this boy pays with blood for whatever he hasn't done to you yet."

Suki raised a hand. "As his bodyguard, I want to clarify that I didn't hear that last part."

Zuko shoved her hand down. "But I didn't-"

Mai groaned and spun to face him. "Apparently, we need to settle this once and for all. So I believe you were going to ask me out?"

Zuko blinked at her. Twice. Three times. "Yes?"

"Great, let's go get my heart broken before it gets too late." She grabbed Zuko's hand and pulled him along.

Suki trotted after them, and Aunt Mura waved with a bit too much smugness.

* * *

"I thought this would be nice," Zuko said as they stepped into the little dining room. He had (once he convinced Mai to stop dragging him) led the way to a little eatery in Lower Harbor City far away from the Love Festival. He must have made arrangements ahead of time, because the proprietor received them with a bow, complete silence, and a motion to a little room off from the main dining area already stocked with a spread of foods.

Mai let herself be impressed. The walls were covered in thick drapes of rich brown, creating a sense of both coziness and quiet. The only light came from candles, but a slat-shuttered window let in cool fresh air while hiding them from the outside world. "Nice is a word for it. This is a relief after two days of crowds and every color under the sun."

"I thought about something fancier, but then I realized how keyed-up you must be feeling. You need a chance to let all that energy drain away."

Mai didn't reply. Zuko didn't need to be told that he knew her well. That was the whole of the problem, actually.

Suki filled in the silence with, "I'll be just on the other side of this door. Call me if anyone gets past Ty Lee and breaks in through the window."

And then Mai was alone with Zuko. She gave him an evaluating look, which in her case picked up both a sense of eagerness and every spot on his body where she could draw blood with a needle. "And here I really thought, last night, that you'd be giving up."

He looked at her with a quizzical expression. "When have I ever given up?"

Hm. Fair point. "You've never let pain stop you, have you?" She sighed as she kneeled at the wide table where all the food was laid out. "But I'm not the same way, Zuko."

He kneeled opposite her and nabbed some samples from the various plates. "I don't think I believe that. You were friends with Azula. You stayed who you are despite your family trying to make you someone else." He looked up at her, half of his gaze sad, and the other scarred. "And you've stayed apart from me all this time. You admitted that it hurts."

This was why she thought of Zuko as a moron. It was so much easier than trying to deal with how clever he really was.

Instead of replying, Mai got herself from food. She functioned better when she was nourished, from having steadier hands to being able to think quicker. And it was really good food- all the heavier, spicy stuff she liked best, with plenty of dessert waiting in the wings.

And in that indulgence, she found a way to throw up another barrier between her and the man she still loved. "I was surprised to see that Pangfua likes fried garbage even more than I do."

"Really?" Zuko shook his head. "I don't know how she could have discovered it. Cousin Yuying keeps a close eye on her, and that's a family very conscious of its standing. It reminds me a bit of your mother, except Pangfua seems to be fine fitting into it."

"Mother has- well, she's improved. She even works at the flower shop, when she visits. Doing actual labor, can you imagine?"

And just like, Mai left herself vulnerable to a viscous attack.

Zuko leaned forward. "She would probably like to see her daughter leave behind a life of labor."

Mai, though, was a world class warrior, and when fighting with knives, knowing how to parry was a must. "I expect I'll always need some kind of vocation. Life would be boring, otherwise. Cutting and arranging flowers is as good as any."

"But-" Zuko moved one of the deserts, a fruit tart with no flower petals on it whatsoever, over to Mai's side of the table. "Something that better uses your skills and intellect would be more interesting, don't you think? Something on a leadership level, in an important place."

She pushed the fruit tart aside and took a little square of cake. "How much intellect could I have? I threw away a chance to become the Royal Consort, didn't I?"

Zuko, amazingly, smiled at her. "You couldn't have thrown it away. The chance isn't gone yet, is it?"

Mai had to smile as her heart skipped a beat. Being warrior, she was mainly concerned with practicality, and Zuko had just scored a hit against her. That was bad. But she was enough of an artist in battle to appreciate a skillful attack.

And she was also the kind of warrior who smiled before delivering a killing blow. "But I did walk away, didn't I?" She popped her cake into her mouth.

Zuko slid the tart back to his own side of the table, but he didn't touch it. "You did. And you were right. I- I lied by omission. People who love each other shouldn't lie, or hide things like- like how many assassins were getting into the palace. Or that I left the country to deal with the situation in the colonies. Or- or-"

Mai leaned forward. "Or that you went to Ozai, in prison, for advice on how to handle it."

Zuko swallowed and nodded.

She sat back. "And now you say you'll never do it again."

Zuko stood up. "I won't! I promise! I've learned my lesson. I'll never go to my father again, and I'll tell you everything that's going on! No more secrets! I'll even marry you, if you want?"

What?

_What?!_

No longer hungry, Mai stood up to face him directly. "Really?"

He stared at her, waiting.

She held out a hand, the cherry petals painted on her arm shining pink in the candlelight.

Zuko put his hand in hers.

Mai said, "We'd be one. No secrets between us, everything laid bare. Everything exposed, both beautiful-" She stepped in so that she was leaning against his unscarred side, so that he could feel her heart hammering in the chest, and whispered into his ear, "-and ugly."

Zuko turned his head so that he was looking at her with wide eyes. He whispered back, "Everything."

"Oh, Zuko." She leaned further, pressing against him until their lips came together, and kissed him. Hunger filled her, but not for any kind of food. This was an older need, a more painful need. Her lips felt like they belonged in contact with his, a fit more natural than any other. She made it last as long as she could, until the tears welling in her eyes threatened to spill out onto both of their faces, and then pulled away. "You _still_ can't admit you went to your father without telling me."

He blinked. "But- but I just did!"

"No. You couldn't speak the words. I had to."

His jaw dropped.

He knew she was right.

Mai let go of him, maybe for the last time. "I didn't want to hurt you this much, but I guess I can't get out of it. This has _never_ been about the secrets and lies."

His answer was almost a wail: "I don't understand!"

It might have even been true.

She hugged herself, trying to hide her bare, painted arms within her outer tunic. "Did you ever stop to think about _why_ you lied to me?"

He shrugged. "I- I wanted to protect you."

"I thought I didn't need protection? That's what you said that the Boiling Rock."

He blinked. "Well, yes, I said that, but- you- I-"

"Protecting me is the lie you told _yourself._ To avoid acknowledging that you were so ashamed of yourself, you didn't think I'd be able to keep loving you if I find out." She had to wipe at her eyes to keep the tears from falling. "You don't trust me, even after everything, to keep loving you. You think, on some level, that one day I'll figure out the kind of person you really are, and be disgusted with you. That's why you lied. That's why, even now, you can't really say what you did."

"No." He was almost doubled over, as if in pain. "That's not true."

She tried to smile, to reassure him that she wasn't mad, wasn't trying to hurt him. "That's why I don't believe your promises. I'm sure you mean them, but when the time comes, you'll once again hate yourself so much that you'll think I must feel the same way. I do love you Zuko, and I'll never stop. I don't think I can. But I can't be in your life if you're always afraid of it. It would hurt both of us too much, and we're the kind of people who hurt others when we're in pain. That's what we were made to be."

This time, he didn't reply.

She bowed to him. "I'm so sorry." She turned to go-

"You're wrong."

She froze, just short of the door. The candlelight flickered, sending her shadow dancing, and she turned to look back at him.

He forced himself, with obvious effort, to stand straight and tall. "I'll show you. I'll prove you wrong. I can change. _We_ can change. And it will be beautiful."

This time, she did smile.

And she let the tears fall from her eyes. "That would be nice. But I don't believe it."

And then she left.

* * *

Mai found Suki right outside the door, as promised. Suki turned with a smile on her face, and then blanched when she actually laid eyes on Mai. "What happened?!"

Mai shook her head. "I think this is finally finished, at last."

"Oh, I- I'm sorry. Do you need help getting home? You don't look-"

"I'm fine." Mai couldn't stop herself from sniffling. "But if there isn't an assassination attempt tomorrow, you're official on my _list._ "

Suki forced a credible laugh out, and Mai left it at that, before things could get even more awkward.

Ty Lee was waiting outside. She had a hug ready to go, and then - with the perfect understanding that could only be expected of a childhood friend - let Mai run home.

There was still a flower show happening tomorrow.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	6. Endure

**6 - Endure**

Pangfua's big Social Debut wasn't until the afternoon, and Mai spent the whole morning putting on layers of emotional armor. She covered her pain with apathy, cynicism, a dark sense of humor, and an incessant need to annoy everyone around her. She had lots of practice with that, and knew she was good at it. She barely even cared that she was wearing a bright orange outfit today.

Zuko would be there, up on the stage with her and Auntie and everyone else. She would have to endure his presence right next to her, and after last night-

Until that big confrontation, though, Mai still had her duties as an apprentice. With Aunt Mura off gluing rose petals to Pangufa's knickers, their display on the show floor was left completely in Mai's hands. Auntie had given instructions on how to spruce things up for the final day of the show, trusting in Mai to swap the blue flowers for white to impart a feeling of unity and hope or something, and also to trash anything starting to look too wilted. It was a bit annoying to have to do all that work using actual gardening tools (Mai preferred to employ her daggers, switchblades, razor discs, and rotatosharps, but weapons still weren't allowed in the show), but she persevered and went on to smile vacantly at visitors and chat vacuously as required while the event wound down.

The little 'Best in Show' sign that had been stood up in front of their display certainly attracted a fair amount of attention.

Then noon came, and the ringing of a gong declared that the show had reached its informal conclusion. The rabble was shown out and the non-rabble was invited to a Social Debut party. All the arrangers left their displays for one last glass of Cassia wine with Ladies Zuzka and Yuying in the Special Guest pavilion, but Mai headed for the stage that had been erected at the center of the big show tent- or, rather, headed _back_ stage. There, she found Aunt Mura and five tailors with frantic expressions, all in various stages of motion. If she squinted, she could just about make out Pangfua and most of a dress at the center of all the attention.

Mai waved. "So we're all ready for the Debut and don't need my help, right?"

(Sitting on a box not far from the bustle, the Kyoshi guard Chijin sneezed, sending a pile of spare honeyglow petals flying into the air. She mumbled, "I hayg by owahgies.")

"MAI!!" Aunt Mura's cry made the tailors wince. "Good, you're here! Quick, help me with the skirt! We need more rose stems to thicken things up or else the poor girl might as well just go out there in her undershorts! Trim the thorns and weave them together. Make five squares of a full handspan each, with loose ends."

As Mai moved to save the day, Pangfua gave a nervous giggle. "So I guess I'll be relying on my new friend Mai to not accidentally miss a thorn that will stick me at just the wrong moment and ruin the biggest moment of my life in front of the Fire Lord."

"I'd reassure my new friend, but-" Mai arched an eyebrow as she used her clippers to snip off a series of thorns. "I'm the most infamous traitor in modern military history - way more than Jeong-Jeong, even - so I doubt it would help."

Pangfua sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just really nervous. I didn't expect to be, but I don't know if I can- um, Grandmother wants everything to be perfect and everyone important in the Caldera is here, and I _really_ want Zuko to respect me as an adult, and there's the ceremony-"

Mai snipped off another bunch of thorns, one after another, snip, snip, snip. "Maybe telling me about the ceremony will help? Or I could reassure you that you look good in a 'youthful beauty covered in fertility symbols' kind of way, for the people who like that."

"Okay," Pangfua breathed. "Well, first there's all the bowing. I bow to Zuko, and then the audience."

"And we fixed that problem from before, so you won't lose any bits of your dress when you do," Aunt Mura added.

Mai resisted the urge to throw in a cruel, "Probably," and started weaving stems together. She was better than that, and old reflexes never quite died.

"And then I walk up to where Mother Dearest will be waiting, and bow to her, and then she'll give me the big glass flower thing representing my womanhood."

Mai nodded and trimmed another stem. "Is that why they made you wait for the flower show to debut? They wanted to play to the theme?"

"I guess. Then the traditional thing for me to do at that point would be to take the Big Glass Flower Thing to Grandmother, bow to her, and offer her the Thing. And I would say how I'm putting my destiny in her care until she determines the best marriage match for our family."

Mai remembered her own Social Debut. It was kind of similar, except her parents weren't in attendance, Katara had drank too much of the 'really tasty fruit juice' and wouldn't stop telling everyone how much they meant to her, and Mai's whole symbolic thing was to offer a knife to Zuko because she had no imagination. She wondered what he'd done with it. Would it be rude to ask for it back? "So, standard stuff."

"Yeah. And then everyone is supposed to bow to me to show acceptance and then I spend the whole afternoon talking to people like an adult and not just a child." Pangfua nodded with grim determination as Chijin sneezed again and a startled Aunt Mura fumbled flower stems all over the place. "I can do this! I _am_ an adult. I've made adult choices, and sacrificed childish things, and everyone loves me!"

Mai snorted and handed Aunt Mura another of the stem-squares. "Attagirl. Knock 'em dead. Except not literally because Zuko outlawed lethal Agni Kai matches when he also banned children from fighting in them. That's the last square."

"Good," Aunt Mura answered. "Make sure none of the pink petals have fallen off the waist. The orange petals are supposed to be backdrop, just barely peeking through the pink layer. But if that's okay, then I think we're done and-"

"And then I _debut!_ I will no longer be a little girl!" Pangfua clutched her fists, straightened her shoulders, and then looked down at her bodice. "I was hoping to show more cleavage. You know, make it a little 'interesting' when I bow? Can we do something about that?"

Aunt Mura snorted. "Depends. Did you bring any extra you've been holding back until now?"

Mai had to cover her mouth to keep from cackling. Auntie was the best Auntie.

* * *

The ceremony began with Ladies Zuzka and Yuying, mother and daughter, stepping onto the stage. Yuying remained at the edge with a small pillow in her hands, on which rested a large glass sculpture of a peony blossom, rendered in a variety of translucent pink shades. It probably cost enough to feed a small village.

At the far end of the stage, Zuko stood in full Fire Lord regalia, Suki and Ty Lee standing behind and on either side of him. He had his Important Business face on, and his eyes only briefly rested on Mai as she escorted Pangfua to her 'ready' position. Mai didn't make eye contact. Instead, she looked out over the crowd of assembled nobility from across the Fire Nation, and beyond them, to where the flower displays still stood. The one that had the dancing poodle-monkey was barely visible at the end of the row, and the really nice one with the gas-fueled fire fountain (still running!) stood directly behind the crowd.

Lady Zuzka continued on to the center alone, announcing, "Before we welcome my granddaughter to our company, I would like to say how grateful I am to reconcile with my honorable great-nephew, Fire Lord Zuko. He is truly a hero for our world, and..."

Waiting just off-stage, Mai tuned it all out. It wasn't that she disagreed with the sentiment, but she'd heard it all before in countless variations, and right now she didn't need a reminder of how hard it was for _Zuko_ to see himself as his supporters did. If only he could-

Well, no point in wondering about hypotheticals.

Beside her, Aunt Mura was making a few last-second adjustments to Pangfua's dress, and Pangfua herself was breathing heavily and looking greener than most of the plants in this place.

Mai leaned over and whispered, "Are you okay?"

Pangfua swallowed noisily. "I think I'm going to throw up."

"Do _not_ throw up. And if you do, don't do it near me." Mai thought it was the best possible advice to give in the situation. "Come on, you love it when people pay attention to you. This is just more of that, except on a stage, with flowers glued to your chest."

Pangfua put a hand over her mouth for a moment, breathing even heavier, and then took it away again and looked to Mai. "I lied- or- or misled you, before. The ceremony is- it's going to be a little different than I said."

The royal family sure had a thing for lies, it seemed. Was this what was making Pangfua sick? "Okay? Lean that way if you puke."

"I'm so sorry. I- Grandmother wants me to-"

And with either perfect or disastrous timing, Lady Zuzka called out, "I now present my granddaughter, Pangfua - Clouds in the Shape of Flowers - to you all. Today she is an adult, eligible for marriage and empowered to make agreements on behalf of my family."

Pangfua gave her loudest swallow yet, threw one last beseeching look to Mai, and stepped out onto the stage.

Spotlights, just like the ones used by the Ember Island Players for their performances, lit Pangfua up as she strode into view. Her dress practically glowed in the intense light. Her green skirt, a weave of trimmed rose stems supported by bolts of blue fabric, bounced with every step. Ash-rose buds, deep red except where the tips of the petals turned to gray, made for a scattering of color across the skirt that grew denser as the eye traveled up to the waist of the dress. There, pink petals scattered across a backdrop of orange created an effect that was almost like the shimmering of jewels, and bursting from that like a fountain of color was a dense construction of lily flowers, some solid and some special two-tones, that didn't quite reach Pangfua's shoulders. But rising from behind those shoulders were wings of yellow lily-leaves, vaguely shaped like those of the ancient dragons.

And sitting atop Pangfua's hair, like the shining rays of the sun, was a crown of cloud-like Dragon's Tears blooms, glistening gold in the light.

It was as though a princess of the dragons themselves had stepped out of the past, covered in the blossoms of life.

Mai thought it was a bit overdone, but appreciated Aunt Mura's vision nonetheless.

Pangfua's expression, though, was of someone awaiting an execution. (Mai recognized it because she had, herself, awaited a royal execution at one important point in her life.) She bowed to Zuko, all the way on the other side of the stage, and only rose when he motioned to her. She bowed to the crowd, and then stepped over to her mother and bowed once again. Yuying bowed back, and presented the big glass peony. Pangfua took it, and then continued on across the stage, where, according to her earlier description, she would hand it over to her grandmother.

Pangfua stopped in front of Lady Zuzka and bowed yet again. The poor girl was probably going to upchuck just from the constant up-and-down.

Zuzka bowed back, and Mai heard her say, "Go ahead, child."

Pangfua nodded as she straightened, and then-

-she continued across the stage to Zuko with the flower sculpture still in her hands.

Mai could see him blink in surprise as Pangfua fell to her knees in front of him, held up the glass peony as an offering, and called out, "Please take this symbol of my spirit, and in doing so accept me as your loyal wife forever more."

_What?!_

Mai reached into sleeves she wasn't wearing for needles she'd left at home.

So she was left to watch as Pangfua continued to hold up the glass flower, blinking _tears from her eyes_ that rolled down her checks to drip off her chin and water the blossoms of her dress. Lady Zuzka drifted over to say, "My Lord, my family offers our youngest, most beautiful daughter to you as a sign of our loyalty. Please, take her as your wife, and let us reunite our lines."

The crowd of nobles murmured to each other.

"I-" Zuko's jaw had dropped, and was looking back and forth between Pangfua and Zuzka. "I wasn't really looking to get married yet-"

Except he had just proposed the Mai the night before. It was one of the most painful things about that whole confrontation. She hadn't even answered him properly, instead destroying both his heart and her own with a neat summation of why they could never be together.

She only realized she was trembling when Aunt Mura wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her.

"It's true that you have no current prospects." Lady Zuzka stepped to Zuko's side, and Suki and Ty Lee both visibly tensed at the proximity. "But you get along with Pangfua, do you not? She has been trained from birth to be the perfect bride. She will serve you well as an ally and a woman. Bring the Flame Crown back to my descendants, and all of my influence and alliances will be yours. You can finally unite our nation, bring all the wretched traitors to heel, and forever deny your sister a claim to the Burning Throne. Pangfua will give you strong Firebenders for children, I assure you. You have only to accept, and happiness can be yours."

Zuko looked to Pangfua with wide eyes.

The girl forced a smile through her tears. "I- _I love you,_ Zuko." She pushed the glass flower out so that he would barely have to reach to accept it. "Please, take me as your wife. I w- I- I want this. I- want- y- you."

His hands twitched.

He said, "I-"

And then the ragged voice of a woman called out, "Oi! Get away from my girlfr- _my lead pipa-player!_ "

And Mai finally ripped her eyes away from where Zuko was being ambushed with matrimony to the crowd, where a group of men in woman in filthy, ragged leathers were _hoisting the fire fountain from the flower display and throwing it at the stage-_

-Zuko was in trouble-

-and Mai threw herself into action.

With the efficiency that even Princess Azula herself trusted to get a job done, Mai shoved Aunt Mura to the relative safety of backstage, used the resulting momentum to sprint across the stage and kicked the back of Pangfua's left thigh to make her collapse into a heap. The glass peony was airborne for a moment, but Zuko grabbed it as Mai wrapped an arm around him and Lady Zuzka each to tackle them to the ground beside Pangfua, and even as they landed in a heap Suki and Ty Lee were skipping over them to put their armored bodies between the group-

-and the firebomb.

There were flames, screaming, and stampeding. Mai peeked up and saw that the weird leather-crowd - who seemed to number in the dozens, somehow - were rioting and attacking the nobility. Kyoshi Warriors were forcing their way to the attackers and Firebenders were trying to control the spreading conflagration, but the chaos continued to spread. The rioters were throwing around pieces of the flower displays, which included some fairly heavy hardware, and the smoke from the flames had no escape in this tent, becoming more dangerous than the fire itself, and-

-and Pangfua shoved her way free of the pileup on the stage, jabbing Mai in the side with an elbow, and crawled towards the front of the stage shouting, "No, Zongying, you don't have to do this!"

Zongying?

Who was Zongying?

While Mai was trying to put the pieces together, Zuko worked himself free as well, and grabbed for Pangfua. That moron was playing hero again!

So Mai followed him-

-and then a secondary explosion scattered them all.

When Mai blinked her vision clear again, and found that she and Zuko were alone in the ruins of the right side of the stage. He helped her to her feet, the glass peony somehow intact in the crook of his other arm, and they both looked at the scene of complete pandemonium swirling around them.

Mai had to admit that this was, by far, the most interesting part of the flower show.

He must have seen something on her face - he was always good at that - because he said, "You were expecting this."

"Something like this." They might no longer be lovers, maybe not even friends anymore, but she still could not bring herself to lie to him. Even if she was flouting every single one of her other foundational convictions by wearing (the remains of) orange robes. "The explosion was a surprise."

His gaze drifted, and he gave a nod. "It caught me off guard, too." He looked up at her again. "But how?"

Mai sighed. She supposed they could talk a little while they tried to find their allies. "Well, if you really want to know..."

**TO BE CONCLUDED**


	7. Beginning

**7 - Beginning**

Somehow, Mai couldn't stop spending time with Zuko.

But she had to admit, if it had to happen after last night's painful breakup (re-breakup? breakup epilogue? breakup post-commentary? Whatever it was when the awful explanations came sometime after the initial righteous storming out), it was better to do it in the midst of a gigantic brawl with a flower show was burning down around them. It let them focus on things other than each other or any lingering feelings they might still have, such as assembling their scattered allies, picking up some improvised weapons, establishing the background for how they had come to be here, and also dealing with the assassin who was currently leaping for Zuko with a bright yellow watering-can in her hands like a club.

Except, for an assassin, Mai couldn't help but note the very poor leaping-death-attack technique, and poor choice of a hollow and very light bludgeon. This was a pretty bottom-of-the-barrel hired killer, if a professional at all. Zuko's regime had really done a number on the blood-for-money industry- or, rather, the Kyoshi Warriors guarding him had.

So, amidst the fire and the smoke and the panicking people and the rioting thugs, Mai sighed, threw a handful of the trimmed rose thorns she'd picked up during their earlier scramblings, and pinned the attacker to a nearby shelving unit that had, not fifteen minutes ago, been displaying a very tasteful selection of potted daisies.

The assassin struggled to free herself, but Mai could throw even rose thorns _really_ hard, and leather clothes did not rip easily, even ones this dirty and ragged. Giving up, the assassin chose instead to glare at Mai and snarl, "Let me outa here, ya bloodybonegripper! I'll shove these thorns oop ya nose and kick 'em back out again!"

The accent of the northern rural provinces of Capital Island horrified Mai almost as much as the short, cheaply-dyed green hair. Even so, she made yet another sacrifice for her 'beloved' homeland and leaned nonchalantly on the shelf next to the assassin. "So. You're Zongying, I presume. How do you know our cute little Pangfua?"

Seizing on the name that Pangfua had blurted out, when the attack first started, had a definite effect. The assassin made a brave attempt to cultivate some saliva in her mouth in this dry, smoky, actually-on-fire atmosphere, and failed to successfully spit it on Mai. "Oop ya nose, you bloodybonegripper!"

"Don't talk to Mai that way." Zuko handed the glass peony he'd been holding, the symbol of Pangfua's offer of marriage, to Ty Lee and clenched his fists. "Address your greviences to me, if you must, but I-"

" _You put one finger on Pangfua and I'll grievance you, ya southern nob!_ " Zongying attempted a series of hand-gestures that Mai recognized as ancient Sun Warrior hexes, but messed up three of them.

Ah.

Mai got it, now.

She put on her sharpest grin, the one that scared people even more than her best knife. "Right. Because Pangfua is your valuable _lead pipa-player,_ right?"

Zongying immediately calmed. Her eyes swiveled back to Mai, an evaluating stare between equals. "Band's gotta have the right sound, ya? Pangfua's a knocker as a singer, too. We do these scream-blast duets, and she-" Her cheeks went rosy, which was impressive in this atmosphere because there was already enough fire around to give everyone sunburns. "What's it to you, ya bloodybonegripper?! If this Fire Lord nob thinks he's gonna wife her up - or even worse, wife her _down_ \- I'll set this island on fire all by mehself, don't see if I won't!"

Mai looked back to the rest of the crew. Suki was nodding, Ty Lee was grinning with the glass peony sculpture clutched to her chest, and Zuko was blinking in confusion as he said, "I have no idea what's going on."

Mai rolled her eyes. "This is apparently Pangfua's- um, very, very, _very_ good friend. And I think this isn't so much about assassinating you as it is about protecting your second-cousin's- ah, 'availability,' as it was."

Zuko blinked one last time. He looked to Mai, letting his gaze linger just long enough to make both her heart flutter and her stomach churn, and then he looked back to Zongying. "I don't suppose it makes any difference that I'm not going to marry Pangfua?"

Zongying's eyes narrowed. "Wot now?"

Suki shook her head. "This is all very- very _something,_ but what about the other thirty people trashing this place and attacking the nobles?"

"Eh, you mean me bandmates and roadies and hop-stomper fans?" Zongying licked her lips. "Iff'n you, Mister Nob Lord, keep away from my girlfr- Pangfua, I just gotta give 'em a whistle and they'll settle right down. They're the nastiest bunch o' ash-farters t' ever pop the roof offa cringe-house, but they're good lads."

Suki put her hands to her face. "This is the stupidest security incident I've ever seen."

"Yeah!" Ty Lee sniffed at the glass peony like it was a real flower. "I don't even know what this girl is saying but I am completely enthralled."

Mai shrugged. "That's because you don't follow the Colonial Influence musical scene. I gave it a try when it was first making its way here- you know, to annoy my parents. That was back when 'The Dirt-Kissers' made that attempt to get public dancing legalized here in the homeland. I would have been arrested with the rest of the observers if Azula hadn't dragged me away."

Zongying's eyes lit up with newfound respect. "Eh, you're a zero-gen hop-stomper? Maybe you're all right, moon-skin."

"It was the hop-stomping that I didn't like so much. Also the fact that none of you people seem to ever bathe." Mai straightened and stepped back over to Zuko. "There were more agreeable ways to annoy my parents, like leaving my baby brother in the hands of kind-hearted Water Tribe terrorists while I went off to chase boys."

"Right on, moon-skin! 'at's the spirit o' hop-stomping right there!"

Zuko clutched at his head. "I am so confused, but if I've heard right, all I need to do is officially decline the offer to marry Pangfua, so that she's free to play in your band or whatever, and your people will stop this attack?"

"Attack?! This ain't even the worst roof-popper I've knockered this week!"

"Congratulations. Let's go find my great-aunt." He looked over at Ty Lee. "And in case the 'spirit of hop-stomping' says breaking agreements is okay, please disable her limbs."

"Ha! The bloodybonegripper of a monarchist gets it, now!"

"Please be quiet." He took the glass flower sculpture back from Ty Lee, and led the way into the flames and smoke and (apparently) roof-popping music fans.

* * *

Once they knew what they were dealing with, and had Zongying as their helpless (cussing) prisoner, dealing with the chaos was much simpler. Mai only needed to pin the more berserk rioters (including the drummer) to the ground with her rose thorns, and Suki rallied the Kyoshi Warriors to secure the nobility and let the various Firebenders get control of the conflagration.

Still, the damage was done. The flowers were all destroyed, the big tent was in tatters and open to the sky, and the remains of everyone's soot-stained clothes smelled like a hundred-year war.

But Aunt Mura turned out to be okay, if a little bewildered, and Ladies Zuzka, Yuying, and Pangfua were unharmed. Pangfua had lost her outfit's Dragon's Breath halo and the lily-leaf wings and most of her rose-stem skirt, but she didn't seem to care as she laid eyes on the limp Zongying in Ty Lee and Chijin's arms.

She raced over, tackled Zongying in a hug, and made sounds that were somewhere between sobs and laughs as she gasped, "I can't believe you did this!"

Zongying couldn't hug back, but she leaned her head against Pangfua's, touching their noses together and staring deeply into each other's eyes, and her voice went soft. "I couldn't just let you marry this bloodybonegripper and not make him work for it. You're my g-" She tilted her head, looking behind Pangfua, to see Lady Zuzka staring down at them both. "My very, very, _very_ good friend. And lead pipa-player."

"Pangfua." Lady Zuzka's voice had no trace of flowers in it. "Who is this?"

"Ahaha! (Ha.) Grandmother. (Er.) I'd like you to meet my- um, very, very, _very_ good friend. This is Zongying. She- uh, she meant well?"

Zuzka's face didn't move so much as a twitch, and Mai had respect the restraint. "Granddaughter, is this why you've been sneaking out? To play in a _band?_ "

Zongying's accent was barely perceptible as she said, "It's very nice to meet you, ma'am, and can I note how lovely your flower show was? It was truly an enriching display of the softer elements of Fire Nation culture, and I value the work you've put into promoting the arts. Also, I have only the utmost respect your granddaughter's booty- _I mean musical expertise_ "

"Hn. We were better at hiding it in _my_ day."

Pangfua's jaw dropped. " _Grandmother?!_ "

"I mean, of course, hidden hobbies. Not- exceptionally close gal pals." She winked.

Lady Yuying came over with a disdainful sniff, apparently not having noticed the subtextual exchange. "Yes, we _all_ knew about your silly little concert-going. You'd smell like sweat and bog-smoke afterward, and you'd have sizzle rolls on your breath. Bringing some order into your life was one of our purposes in finding you a husband."

"Speaking of which," Zuko put in, holding the big glass peony up, "I am going to have to decline your offer."

Mai felt lighter at the words, but she reminded herself that this was what Zuko had agreed in order to save everyone from the riot. She had seen his hand twitch towards the glass peony up on the stage.

Lady Zuzka's eyebrows rose. "You would insult us after everything we have done for you?"

"No!" Zuko took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. "I appreciate everything you've done, and it is my great hope that I continue to enjoy an alliance with the family who haven't yet tried to kill me. But- but I don't love Pangfua. Not like that."

Lady Zuzka frowned. "So?"

Zuko shook his head. "So I have had too little love in my life. I- I am learning it is not my fault. And- and I expect that I'll be learning all my life. As part of that lesson, I am choosing to allow myself to marry for love. In doing so, I think I will make myself into a better Fire Lord for my people, and for the world."

Mai's heart was hammering. She couldn't believe the words coming out of Zuko's mouth. Did he really mean them? Or was he just trying to appease an ally he didn't want to make into an enemy?

His eyes shifted to meet hers. He nodded.

It was a good thing that Aunt Mura was right behind Mai, because she was starting to feel a little shaky on her feet. Even if they couldn't be together, hearing this from him- she wanted him to be happy, and to have the love he deserved. It was all she ever really wanted for him.

Lady Yuying snorted. "Ridiculous! Look at my daughter! She's adorable! Spend enough time with her and you'll fall in love with her. Or something close enough."

But Zuzka was giving Zuko a solid stare. "Is that your final decision?"

"It is." Zuko held the glass sculpture out to be taken back. "I'm sorry."

Lady Zuzka drew herself up and took a deep breath-

-and sighed. "You're just like my little nephew Iroh. You seem soft until someone pushes up against something you truly care about. Then the dragon strength makes itself known." She nodded. "Very well. I accept your refusal with regret. I don't know how much influence I'll still have after this disaster of a flower show and the nobles who have been terrorized-" She threw a look at Zongying. "-but I will still do what I can to support you as Fire Lord and my family."

" _WHAT?!_ " Yuying stepped back from her old mother. "You're going to throw in with this _usurper_ despite him casting aside our Pangfua like a wilted blossom?!"

Mai could see where this was going. She pulled free of Auntie's grip and moved towards Zuko-

"Silence, daughter." Zuzka waved a dismissal. "The time for the old ways is over. We can choose increasing isolation, and watch as our allies and fortune disappear, or ally ourselves with victors."

-and to ash with this stupid orange dress that didn't have any sleeves or leggings to hide any weapons in because the last of the rose thorns had been used up on Zongying's rioters-

"Well, then," Yuying murmured, "perhaps some new ways _are_ needed."

-and Suki and Ty Lee were also moving but they didn't have their fans-

Yuying became a blur of arms and sleeves and shining silver metal that sparked against the chest-armor of the Kyoshi Warriors and sent them flying. Zuzka stumbled backwards in horror and Pangfua screamed and Zuko held up the glass sculpture as if it would protect him against a warrior of the Silver Dance but he wasn't in a position for any worthwhile Firebending-

-and his eyes met Mai's-

-and he gave her a flower.

He threw - or, more accurately, _shot_ with a small burst of Firebending - the glass peony out of his hands so that it landed and smashed to pieces right in Mai's path.

Big, sharp pieces.

Mai smiled as she dipped down to pick up a bunch of them without slowing her dash, turned her momentum into a spin that sent some of the shards flying in a spread toward Yuying-

-and the Silver Dancer twisted to face the attack and sliced every single one of the shards out of the air with a single motion even as she was kicking backward to plant a foot covered in a heavy wooden sandal into Zuko's stomach.

Mai skidded to a stop. She didn't have enough shards of glass to waste them with bad throws. She had to make them count.

And Yuying faced her down with a confident grin and a pair short butterfly swords in her hands. "Caldera Yu Mai, Lady of Ten Thousand Hidden Blades. Or so you _were_ before you ran away and your worthless father lost everything by giving service to a lunatic of a princess."

Mai kept her face blank and her eyes on her opponent. "So, you know who I am."

"Of course. Your aunt really did earn her place at the show, but I did my research on _you._ And I made sure to check _everything_ you two brought into the show for hidden weapons. I had my spies watching you each day to make sure you weren't sneaking a few blades in your clothes. My mother might be weak, but I never intended the Fire Lord to refuse my daughter. And I know, for a fact, that you can't beat me."

Mai snorted and brandished the glass shards between the fingers of her fists. "If it was a fact, you'd have taken me down already. I agree, you're probably a little better than me. I never bothered with the Silver Dance, after all. But we're both artists _and_ professionals. We know that sometimes the lesser fighter gets lucky."

Their gazes were locked together, waging a war of the mind as they ran through every possible move that a duel between them could encompass. Mai's thoughts whirled with calculations for the trajectories of irregular pieces of colored glass, while she could see the same thing happening with a pair of thick silver blades in Yuying's mental vision through the slight fluttering of her irises. Ten thousand wars were fought in the single second of the two staring at each other.

Yuying grinned. "So, do you feel lucky, punk?"

Mai gave a shrug that was nothing more than the twitch of a single shoulder. "Zongying's the punk. I'm just an apprentice florist with a thing for dorky boys. And I just have one thing to say to you."

"What's that?"

"Dogpile."

"Wh-"

And then five Kyoshi Warriors jumped on Yuying, smashed her to the ground, and yanked the blades from her hands.

Mai let her glass shards fall from her grip. "I lied. You're not a professional. You're an artist who never even realized the need for battlefield awareness." She looked around at everyone. "So, are we done here?"

* * *

Sometime later, the area was properly secured, the shards of glass were carefully swept up so that no one got an ouchie. Lady Yuying was hauled away for treason and a list of other crimes. The foul-smelling rioters in leather were happily shouting obscenities as they were booked by local law enforcement for a night in jail for excessive rowdiness (things were a little more lax during a Love Festival).

The whole while, Pangfua and Zongying were further traumatizing the scorched nobles by holding an impromptu concert that seemed to consist of screaming, smashing pipa lutes on the ground, and pressing their faces together a lot. Zuzka was sitting at the edge of the crowd, attempting to clap her hands to the beat but often losing the thread of it. But then, so were Pangfua and Zongying.

Mai supposed she'd had worse days at work.

"And with that," Suki announced, "I'm done. I only needed to provide security for the flower show. That's burned down, everyone in need of justice has been brought to it, and I'm going to sleep for a week now."

("HAAAAAACHPLOOOOOOOOOO," added Chijin. "Aggh. I still hab pollen ub by nobe.")

Ty Lee skipped over and wrapped Mai in a hug. "Thanks for all your help! I think maybe you've earned the Kyoshi makeup after all!"

"Pass." Mai hugged back, and it really did feel good. "But don't hesitate to bring me back in for another job. It gets boring, playing with flowers every day."

Zuko held up his hands. "I think my protectors deserve a reward for their good work. A feast will be waiting for you back at the palace, and luxury treatments in the Royal Spa. And, uh, maybe we can find some medicine for Chijin?"

"Thanbs."

As the Kyoshi Warriors applauded and hugged each other and did all that team-nonsense that Mai had always despised, Zuko came over to her and said in a low voice, "And I'm especially grateful to you. Not just for protecting me, but for the truths you shared with me."

Aunt Mura nudged her in the side. Mai resisted the urge to throw a glare at her and took a step to close the distance with Zuko. "Well, thank you for listening. I really hope you do find happiness, and soon."

Zuko took a deep breath. "I- I also wanted to tell you- I was going to accept Pangfua's proposal. I was ready to marry her."

Mai never, _ever_ lost control of her expressions-

-she had suspected-

-to tell her like this-

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

He shut his eyes and bowed his head. "I really thought, after what you said last night, that we'd never be together. I know I vowed to still win you back, but- with Pangfua kneeling there, and Aunt Zuzka offering all her family resources to me- I had intended to keep trying to bring you and me back together, but not because I really thought I _could,_ so- well, for a moment, I really was about to give up."

Mai forced her jaw shut. "Oh."

"I just wanted you to know. I- I'm ashamed of it, and I wish I'd never even thought about it, but- but I did. And you deserve the truth. Even if it means you never want to see me again." He opened his eyes again, and despite the scar on his face, he had never looked so innocent and hopeful to her. "But you saved me from my mistake, and I think that's a sign that maybe we can still come together again. Someday."

Mai had told him, last night, that they'd only hurt each other as long as he couldn't stop hating himself. He'd even admitted, in his little speech to Zuzka, that he'd likely spend a lifetime trying to get over that.

_Trying._

Maybe she could try, too.

"Well, I'd expect nothing less of you, Zuko." 

He tilted his head. "Is that a compliment?"

"I really couldn't tell you." She smiled, letting him know that her words were just things being thrown out to fill the space between them.

He smiled back. "So, what do you think?"

She thought about teasing him some more, or pretending not to know what he was talking about. Or she could fall back into the explanations she'd given last night of why it would never work out between them. But, because he was Zuko, he'd already found a way to counter them. She'd either have to find a new way to fight, or-

-as Zuzka had, perhaps it was time to recognize a new age.

She held out her hand. "I think..."

"Yes?" He put his hand in hers.

She closed her own around his. "It's a beginning."

**END**


End file.
